He Had No Choice
by TomatoBurger
Summary: "To answer your earlier question Miss, your friend here has taken something that belongs to me..." He sent a frightening glare aimed at Gilbert. "And I want it back." Human AU.


Awareness came to Antonio slowly. the unforgiving, gravely ground cutting into his face. What was the harsh material, binding his wrists and ankles rubbing the skin raw? That strange, metallic taste...was that...blood? The sound of rushing water close-by brought him evermore closer to consciousness. He could hear quiet sound of muffled sobs.

Antonio snapped his eyes open with a gasp. He tried to take in his surroundings, although he was faced with blinding darkness. It took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust. When they did, he sought out the heart-wrenching noise of desperate cries. He looked to his right to see a distraught, young woman with wavy, light brown hair crouched beside him. She was shivering violently, whether it was from shock or from the harsh cold, Antonio was unsure.

"Elizaveta...? What's going on?" He drowsily mumbled. Little did he know he was on a bridge, facing an empty road with his wrists tied securely to the railings behind him. The place didn't seem familiar to him but he wasn't in the best state of mind to be sure.

Elizaveta opened her mouth to reply but was instead interrupted by a voice that the Spaniard could recognise anywhere.

"We're royally fucked up the ass, my friend!"

Antonio jumped at the unexpected voice and snapped his head around to see a familiar self-proclaimed Prussian on his other side. "Gilbert?" Antonio's eyes narrowed. "What did you do?"

"Why do you automatically assume this is my fault!? It could be that witch's!" Gilbert snorted referring to the growing angry Elizaveta.

"Because you make no secret of the kind of amigos you have, Gil!" Antonio replied with rising panic evident in his voice. Gilbert just laughed at his friend.

"Gilbert, shut up! This isn't funny! Why are we even here!?" Elizaveta snarled.

"I believe I can answer that question, Miss."

Gilbert visibly got paler and there was an audible gulp. "I-Ivan" he stammered. "W-what's going on? Why are we here?" He gave nervous chuckle. "If you wanted to bask in my awesome presence you could have just asked." Antonio turned to see a tall, blonde man with cold, violet eyes. He wore a long white scarf around his neck and an oversized trench coat. Antonio thought it strange that he wore such an innocent expression yet gave off such a threatening aura.

There was an audible snort on Antonio's right. "Of course! Of course this is his fault!" Elizaveta laughed in an almost hysterical way. Elizaveta's laugh was joined by the cold and eerie laugh of the intimidating man standing before them.

"To answer your earlier question Miss, your friend here has taken something that belongs to me..." He sent a frightening glare aimed at Gilbert. **"And I want it back."** Antonio was shocked at the speed of the large man as suddenly, with the innocent smile wiped of his face, he was holding the Prussian in the air by the front of his collar. Ivan started to laugh coldly. "How childish! Did you really think you could steal from me? Ivan Braginski, leader of the Russian mafia? You're out of your league, little boy."

Surprising everyone, Gilbert spat right in the face of his kidnapper. "Hah! You think the awesome me is afraid of you? I laugh in the face of danger! I can't even comprehend how someone with your reputation cares so much for-"

He was cut of by a sharp blow, smacking his face to the side. Antonio winced at the sickening crunch that must have been his friend's jaw. " I suggest you don't try that again da?" Ivan said with a threatening smile. He dropped Gilbert to the ground unsparingly. Ivan placed the sole of his shoe against Gilbert's pale cheek. "You don't want me to leave marks on your disgusting face do you?"

"Hey my face is awes-" He was interrupted again by Ivan's boot colliding with his face. He couldn't help but cry out in pain. Ivan followed the kick with a few more to his chest with the ear-splitting sound of ribs cracking. Ivan was distracted by Elizeveta's distressed cries.

"Stop! Please stop hurting him!" she cried. Ivan turned his gaze towards the woman, momentarily seizing his assault on the Prussian. "Maybe he doesn't know anything!" she said, her voice shaky from terror. He laughed with his innocent smile in place.

"Oh yes, maybe he doesn't know what he is **hiding **from me..." said Ivan with his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Can we come to some sort of agreement?" Antonio pleaded, hoping to spare his friend more pain.

"Of course!" Ivan chirped, suddenly cheerful." He tells me what I want to know, he gets to keep his life. A good deal, da?"

"Never!" a muffled shout came from the broken man on the ground.

"Shut up you idiot!" hissed a frustrated Elizaveta. Ivan crouched down to Gilbert's level.

"Now you listen da? I am going to give you one more chance. Give me the location...or give me your life..." Gilbert hesitated, supposedly considering.

"Just tell him what you know Gil! Surely it isn't worth your life!" Antonio yelled at his friend. "P-please just tell him..."

Gilbert sighed and looked directly into Ivan's eyes. He seemed to suddenly regain all his lost confidence, and smirked. It was as if he had accepted it...no. Antonio refused to think like that. Gilbert started to laugh, a low sound in his beaten chest. "You really think an awesome person like me would give that kind of information to a psychotic guy like you? I'd rather die..."

A pained gasp came from the direction of the Hungarian woman. Ivan regarded the albino closely.

"So be it..."

With that, he roughly dragged Gilbert by the collar so that he was sitting on the bridge's railing. The old, rusty railing seemed to wobble under the Prussian's weight and it was easy to see that it was unstable. Gilbert clutched the side of the railing so tightly his knuckles turned white. Ivan let go of his grip on the Prussian's collar so he was sitting, unsupported, on the railing. "Jump," the Russian whispered into his ear, sounding sickly amused. Antonio felt sick to his stomach.

"Don't you dare! Don't you_ dare_ jump!" Antonio growled. The Spaniard could hear Elizaveta failing to keep it together behind him. Ivan glared at the two sitting against the railing.

"Beilschmidt, It's either you jump or your friends jump. What's your decision?"

Antonio had enough of feeling useless. "I can't let you do this...please, _por favor..._let me jump instead..."

"No! No fucking way Antonio!" shouted Gilbert as Ivan began to laugh in amusement.

"Wow, it's surprising to see a thief like you having such noble friends...you really don't deserve them," Ivan smirked.

"He is no thief!" Elizaveta sobbed. Gilbert physically winced at the sound of her voice. Ivan scoffed.

"I beg to differ." He was becoming impatient. "I want you to make a decision now, Beilschmidt." Gilbert tiredly sighed. He shakily began to stand up on the unstable railing. He stood with his head held high, looking out at the rushing current beneath him. It was a clear night and the moon reflected brightly off the water's surface. Elizaveta was screaming at him, telling him not to jump, not to leave her. Antonio trying to free himself to stop his friend. Gilbert locked eyes with Elizaveta. Their gaze held so much unspoken words, never to be heard. He then met Antonio's gaze. The Spaniard was surprised at the look he was given. It seemed as if it held a hidden message he couldn't quite decipher. Ivan smiled. "You...or your friends?"

_"I'm sorry. my little brother, Ludwig..."_

_"You or your friends?"_

_**...He had no choice...**_

**A/N: Hello! It's two in the morning and we're fricken dying! This our first fanfic...ever... Go easy on us? :3 But constructive criticism is always welcome! ;) **

**This is actually a prologue to a story Tomato and I are thinking of writing, which basically explains everything, including what Ivan is looking for and is pretty much a follow-on to this. If you're interested let us know! It would be a great moral boost for us! :) A.K.A We'll upload faster and better stuff! **

**This story is actually the fault of our English teacher.**

**Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed!**

**-Burger**


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